Vogts, who was in charge of Scotland from 2002 to 2004, said he was made aware of a potential family link when Rooney was a highly-rated 16-year-old with Everton.

His prodigious talent and fierce loyalty, even at that tender age, meant he was never likely to accept the audacious invitation, but Vogts was compelled to make the call.

As it was Rooney made his England debut in February 2003, still aged just 17, and went on to become a star of the Barclays Premier League.

"I spoke to Wayne Rooney - his grandmother, she is Scottish," said Vogts, speaking in Baku ahead of his Azerbaijan side's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland.

"The Scottish Football Association found the grandmother and I made the call. I flew from Glasgow to Everton. He was playing under David Moyes at Everton and I spoke to him - a young lad of 16 years of age. I said to him 'you can play for Scotland'."